大般涅槃經集解 68.82

68.82

Sengliang comments: This clarifies that leaving evil has gradual stages. Having recognized the fault of the transgression, expounding faults based on the retributions of humans and gods yields benefits in two lifetimes. As for 'the retribution is light and slight', suffering arises from delusion; when one perceives the faults, delusion is slight. Baoliang comments: 'It is like a man leading a blind person into a thorny forest'—the blind person illustrates ordinary persons, and the thorny forest illustrates the three outflows. It is these three outflows that lead sentient beings to undergo suffering retribution. 'Forsaking him and returning' means that once the result arises, the cause ceases. 'Even if he managed to escape, his body would be completely damaged' means that even if he later comes to revile suffering and cultivate the path, he must necessarily undergo the eight sufferings in full.